Acoustic wave transformation and attenuation membrane

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for reducing the transmission of unwanted sound and vibration energy generated by dynamic and/or impact loads through floors in multi-story buildings. This may be accomplished using an acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane including an acoustic wave transformation layer, an acoustic absorption layer, and a constrained vibration damping layer. The acoustic wave transformation layer may be capable of transforming acoustic waves in a manner that may easily be attenuated by the acoustic absorption and constrained vibration damping layers. The sound proofing membrane may be used with several different combinations of floor coverings, adhesives, and subfloors. Impact acoustical tests have demonstrated that the sound proofing membrane can achieve higher IIC and HIIC ratings compared to conventional acoustic underlayments and/or membranes and, thus, prevent unwanted dynamic and/or impact loads from disturbing occupants in rooms beneath the floor assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane comprising:
 an acoustic wave transformation layer; 
 an acoustic absorption layer; and 
 a constrained vibration damping layer comprising:
 a constraining face material; and 
 a viscoelastic vibration damping layer; 
 
 wherein the acoustic absorption layer is in between the acoustic wave transformation layer and the constrained vibration damping layer; 
 wherein a structure of the sound proofing membrane, which includes the acoustic wave transformation layer, the acoustic absorption layer, and the constrained vibration damping layer, is configured to, relative to a bare concrete subfloor, reduce impact noise by at least 12 dB at each frequency within a range of 500 Hz to 3150 Hz. 
 
     
     
       2. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the acoustic wave transformation layer is adhered to the acoustic absorption layer. 
     
     
       3. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the constrained vibration damping layer is adhered to the acoustic absorption layer. 
     
     
       4. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the sound proofing membrane meets all requirements of American National Standard Institute (ANSI) A118.10, ANSI A118.12, and ANSI A118.13 for waterproofing, crack isolation and sound reduction membranes. 
     
     
       5. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the acoustic wave transformation layer comprises a top face sheet layer, a bottom face sheet layer, and an acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer. 
     
     
       6. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 5 , wherein the top face sheet layer and the bottom face sheet layer are adhered to the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer so that the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer is in between the top face sheet layer and the bottom face sheet layer. 
     
     
       7. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 5 , wherein the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer comprises a lightweight material. 
     
     
       8. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 7 , wherein the lightweight material has a mass density equal to or less than 5000 kg/m3. 
     
     
       9. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 5 , wherein the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer comprises cells, chambers, and/or compartments, and the cells, chambers, and/or compartments comprise one or more regular or irregular patterns, arrangements, and/or configurations that are arranged randomly and/or orderly and/or both. 
     
     
       10. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 9 , wherein the cells, chambers, and/or compartments of the wave transformation matrix core layer have one or more geometric configurations. 
     
     
       11. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 9 , wherein the cells, chambers, and/or compartments of the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer contain gas or gases. 
     
     
       12. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 11 , wherein the gas or gases contained in the cells, chambers, and/or compartments of the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer comprise atmospheric air and/or one or more of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and helium. 
     
     
       13. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 11 , wherein the gas or gases contained in the cells, chambers, and/or compartments of the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer have a mass density of less than 2 kg/m3. 
     
     
       14. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 9 , wherein the cells, chambers, and/or compartments of the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer contain lightweight materials. 
     
     
       15. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 14 , wherein the lightweight materials contained in the cells, chambers, and/or compartments of the wave transformation matrix core layer comprise beads, spheres, particles, grains, expanded glass, hollow spheres, Styrofoam, lightweight volcanic pumice, perlite, gas-filled microspheres, and/or vulcanized rubber. 
     
     
       16. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 14 , wherein the lightweight materials contained in the cells, chambers, and or compartments of the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer have a mass density of less than 1000 kg/m 3 . 
     
     
       17. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 9 , wherein the cells, chambers, and/or compartments of the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer create multiple obstructions and/or surfaces that scatter, reflect, diffract, and diffuse sound and vibration from acoustic waves generated by dynamic and/or impact loads on a floor covering. 
     
     
       18. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 17 , wherein the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer is capable of increasing a spatial frequency of the incident acoustic wave by a factor of ten or more. 
     
     
       19. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 5 , wherein the top face sheet layer and the bottom face sheet layer are configured to protect and reduce unwanted contamination of the acoustic wave transformation matrix core layer. 
     
     
       20. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 5 , wherein the top face sheet layer and/or the bottom face sheet layer contain cells, chambers, and/or compartments that form a part of or form the entire wave transformation matrix core layer. 
     
     
       21. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the acoustic absorption layer comprises one or more layers comprising materials including woven or non-woven fabrics, felt, foam, rubber, paper, natural wool, mineral wool, and/or fiberglass. 
     
     
       22. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the acoustic absorption layer comprises acoustic metamaterials that are capable of absorbing lower frequency acoustic waves. 
     
     
       23. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the acoustic absorption layer is configured to attenuate the transformed acoustic waves from the acoustic wave transformation layer. 
     
     
       24. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the constraining face material layer is constructed from materials including metal, plastic, foil, and/or film. 
     
     
       25. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic vibration damping layer is a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
       26. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic vibration damping layer comprises bitumen, polymer modified bitumen, vulcanized rubber, urethane, cork, natural or synthetic rubber, and/or vinyl. 
     
     
       27. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic vibration damping layer is adhered to the constraining face material layer. 
     
     
       28. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic vibration damping layer has a thickness between 0.1 to 12 mm. 
     
     
       29. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the structure of the sound proofing membrane is capable of increasing the High Frequency Impact Insulation Class (HIIC) rating per American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E492 of a floor assembly to a minimum of 50 when used with a non-resilient floor covering on a concrete subfloor without a suspended ceiling used in a room below. 
     
     
       30. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the structure of the sound proofing membrane is capable of increasing the High Frequency Impact Insulation Class (HIIC) rating per American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E492 of a floor assembly to a minimum of 60 when used with a non-resilient floor covering on a concrete subfloor without a suspended ceiling used in the room below. 
     
     
       31. An acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane comprising:
 an acoustic wave transformation layer; 
 an acoustic absorption layer; and 
 a constrained vibration damping layer comprising:
 a constraining face material; and 
 a viscoelastic vibration damping layer; 
 
 wherein the acoustic absorption layer is in between the acoustic wave transformation layer and the constrained vibration damping layer; 
 wherein a structure of the sound proofing membrane, which includes the acoustic wave transformation layer, the acoustic absorption layer, and the constrained vibration damping layer, is configured to, relative to a bare concrete subfloor, reduce wavelengths of acoustic noise propagating through a concrete subfloor at each frequency within a range of 400 Hz to 3150 Hz by at least a factor of 10 when used with a non-resilient floor covering and without a suspended ceiling in the room below. 
 
     
     
       32. A method for creating an acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane, the method comprising:
 forming an acoustic wave transformation layer; 
 bonding an acoustic absorption layer to the acoustic wave transformation layer; 
 bonding the acoustic absorption layer to a constraining face material; and 
 bonding a viscoelastic vibration damping layer to the constraining face material; 
 wherein a structure of the sound proofing membrane, which includes the acoustic wave transformation layer, the acoustic absorption layer, and the constrained vibration damping layer, is configured to, relative to a bare concrete subfloor, reduce impact noise by at least 12 dB at each frequency within a range of 500 Hz to 3150 Hz. 
 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 32 , wherein forming the acoustic wave transformation layer comprises bonding a top face sheet layer and a bottom face sheet layer to a wave transformation matrix core layer. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 32 , wherein one or more of bonding the acoustic absorption layer to the acoustic wave transformation layer, bonding the acoustic absorption layer to the constraining face material, and bonding the viscoelastic vibration damping layer to the constraining face material are performed during a manufacturing process. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 32 , wherein one or more of bonding the acoustic absorption layer to the acoustic wave transformation layer and bonding the acoustic absorption layer to the constraining face material are performed during field installation. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 32 , wherein the acoustic wave transformation layer has a thickness of 2.50 to 27 mm, the acoustic absorption layer has a thickness of 1 to 12 mm, and the constrained viscoelastic damping layer has a thickness of 0.1 to 12 mm. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 32 , further comprising using the acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound barrier membrane between a floor covering and a subfloor for purposes of attenuating impact and or dynamic noise that may pass from the surface of the floor covering through the subfloor into the room below. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 32 , further comprising bonding the acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane to a subfloor with an adhesive. 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 32 , wherein the acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane is not bonded to a subfloor. 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 32 , further comprising bonding a floor covering to the acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane with an adhesive. 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 32 , wherein a floor covering is not bonded to the acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane. 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 32 , wherein the acoustic absorption layer is bonded to the constraining face material before the viscoelastic vibration damping layer is bonded to the constraining face material. 
     
     
       43. The method of  claim 32 , wherein the acoustic absorption layer is bonded to the constraining face material after the viscoelastic vibration damping layer is bonded to the constraining face material. 
     
     
       44. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the structure of the sound proofing membrane is configured to, relative to the bare concrete subfloor, reduce impact noise by at least 40 dB at a frequency of 3150 Hz. 
     
     
       45. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 44 , wherein the structure of the sound proofing membrane is configured to, relative to the bare concrete subfloor, reduce impact noise by at least 30 dB at a frequency of 2000 Hz. 
     
     
       46. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 45 , wherein the sound proofing membrane is configured to, relative to the bare concrete subfloor, reduce impact noise by at least 20 dB at a frequency of 1000 Hz. 
     
     
       47. The sound proofing membrane of  claim 46 , wherein the sound proofing membrane is configured to, relative to the bare concrete subfloor, reduce impact noise by at least 20 dB at a wavelength of 800 Hz. 
     
     
       48. A method for using an acoustic wave transformation and attenuation sound proofing membrane, the method comprising:
 using a structure of the sound proofing membrane, which includes an acoustic wave transformation layer, an acoustic absorption layer, and a constrained vibration damping layer, to, relative to a bare concrete subfloor, reduce impact noise by at least 12 dB at each frequency within a range of 500 Hz to 3150 Hz, wherein the constrained vibration damping layer comprises a constraining face material and a viscoelastic vibration damping layer, and the acoustic absorption layer is in between the acoustic wave transformation layer and the constrained vibration damping layer.